Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks to the Times Union editorial board on Tuesday, Sept. 4 2018, at the Times Union in Colonie, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union)

In another exchange from last week’s lively visit by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to the Times Union editorial board, the governor said that he wasn’t aware of the current status of the state’s plan to build a database for ammunition sales, an element of the 2013 SAFE Act that remains in limbo more than five and a half years after Cuomo signed the controversial gun control bill.

One possible reason for New York’s relatively laggardly pace: The 2015 memorandum of understanding signed by then-state Operations Director Jim Malatras and Senate Republican Majority Leader John Flanagan that stipulated the database could not be implemented until both signatories agreed that it was ready to be switched on and no money would be allocated to fund its operations. Cuomo’s Counsel Alfonso David insisted at the time that the database was still coming — but that was more than three years ago.

The question was raised by this reporter at the end of governor’s visit to the Times Union, as he surveyed the room for any final questions. Here’s the transcript:

Cuomo: No questions, Casey?

Q: What about the ammo database? That’s an aspect of the SAFE Act that was highly touted when it was first passed and continues to be unconstructed.

Cuomo: I don’t know.
Campaign spokeswoman Abbey Collins: We can check back and get you the details.

Q: Well, the details are that, basically, in 2015 Malatras and Flanagan signed an MOU that it wouldn’t move forward, and all the Republicans in the Senate said, “That’s it — the ammo database is dead.” And there has been nothing counter to that since then. It’s the biggest significant unbuilt portion of the infrastructure created by the SAFE Act.

Cuomo: I don’t know. I will check. But it is not a significant aspect of the SAFE Act.

Cuomo: OK. More than background check on every sale? (Pause.) It’s always a pleasure!

Q: You asked!

Later that day, Cuomo’s Executive Chamber spokesman Rich Azzopardi sent along the following statement — a dead ringer for the past few years’ worth of statements in response to questions about the development of the ammo sales database:

“The State Police and Office of Information Technology Services have reviewed a number of technological solutions to implement the first-in-the-nation ammunition database, but thus far have been unable to address the myriad of legal and operational implementation obstacles. Per the SAFE Act, the Superintendent of the State Police has the authority and responsibility to identify and approve a technological solution that is viable, sustainable, and can track the information required by law. Once an appropriate technology is determined and evaluated, the State Police will proceed with implementation?.”